Ezquiaga M C, Linardi P M, De Avelar D M, Lareschi M
Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE) (CCT La Plata-CONICET-UNLP), La Plata, Argentina.
Med Vet Entomol. 2015 Jun;29(2):196-204. doi: 10.1111/mve.12106. Epub 2015 Jan 29.
A new species of Tunga (Siphonaptera: Tungidae) collected from armadillos in Argentina is described. The new species is characterized by large and pigmented eyes, the presence of two bristles on antennal segment II, two bristles at the base of the maxilla, and a discoid neosome compressed anteroposteriorly. The gravid female is located in the carapace of the host, perforating the osteoderms. The new species resembles Tunga penetrans and Tunga terasma in general appearance. However, it differs by the greater anteroposterior compression of the neosome, a more angular head, and a manubrium with a pointed proximal end and convex ventral margin (the proximal end of the manubrium is rounded or slightly pointed in T. terasma, and the ventral margin is straight in both T. penetrans and T. terasma). In addition, specimens of T. penetrans have more bristles in antennal segments II and III, and lack bristles in the posterior tibia. This is the first report of a species of Tunga perforating the osteoderms of its host and thereby showing a high degree of specialization. Tunga terasma is recorded for the first time in Argentina; the male is described again and the characteristics of the species amended. This information may be useful in epidemiological studies of diseases caused by species of Tunga.
描述了一种从阿根廷犰狳身上采集到的新种穿皮潜蚤（蚤目：穿皮潜蚤科）。该新种的特征为眼睛大且有色素沉着，触角第二节有两根刚毛，上颌基部有两根刚毛，以及前后扁平的盘状新体。孕雌蚤位于宿主的甲壳内，穿透骨板。新种在外观上与穿皮潜蚤和特尔马斯穿皮潜蚤相似。然而，它的新体前后压缩程度更大，头部更有棱角，柄部近端尖锐且腹缘凸起（特尔马斯穿皮潜蚤的柄部近端圆形或稍尖，穿皮潜蚤和特尔马斯穿皮潜蚤的腹缘均为直的）。此外，穿皮潜蚤的触角第二节和第三节有更多刚毛，后胫节没有刚毛。这是关于穿皮潜蚤属物种穿透宿主骨板从而表现出高度特化的首次报道。特尔马斯穿皮潜蚤在阿根廷首次被记录；再次描述了雄性并修正了该物种的特征。这些信息可能对由穿皮潜蚤属物种引起的疾病的流行病学研究有用。
